#marchMATness – The most wonderful time of year…for the Pilates community
March MATness is annual event within the Pilates community where we celebrate the life’s work of Joseph Pilates (Joe), more specifically as the name of the event implies, the matwork.
A little about Joseph Pilates aka Joe
German born Joe was living and working in England when he was placed in forced internment at the outbreak of World War 1. By now Joe had already developed a strong interest in fitness, and had studied anatomy in great depth. Whilst at the internment camp he began developing the matwork that he would eventually use to rehabilitate detainees who were suffering from disease and injuries.
Classical Pilates refers to the original exercise system following a specific order of exercises and maintaining the original intentions for the exercises as created by Joe. March MATness breaks down and explores the classical matwork in the order that Joe intended, and as illustrated in Joe’s book ‘Return to Life with Contrology’.
A little bit about the Matwork
The matwork is versatile, efficient, and effective. When completed in its entirety (or even most of it) it delivers a full body workout in under 40 minutes, it does not require any props, and can be done in your home, office, hotel room, or even the beach – you can’t really get more efficient than that!
In order to fully benefit from the matwork it is advisable to attend some in-person classes with a classically trained teacher, who will understand the system as it was intended. From there you will gain understanding of the system and confidence to practice the matwork at home or wherever you choose. The advantage of incorporating some practice at home is that it will enable you to get more from your sessions in the studio.
Some benefits of Pilates
- Improves posture by focusing on working from an aligned and stable centre.
- Increases strength and flexibility with a focus on balancing the use of muscles.
- A mind-body practice that enhances body awareness.
- Alleviates stress and tension in the body and mind by restoring your sense of wellbeing and rebalancing your equilibrium.
- Reduces the risk of injuries and accelerates rehabilitation and recovery times.
- A functional form of exercise that is transferable to all other activities and supports your everyday life.
Who can join the celebration?
March MATness is not just for teachers, it is for enthusiasts, and beginners too. Taking part is as simple as joining a class, it is so much more fun when you do this with other people. In addition to in-person classes there are many online options now available too. Please take a look at my online studio for expert teaching and inspiration, both on my website and on Instagram, links below.
If you are a Pilates lover post me a comment and tell me your favourite exercise or piece of equipment. Or even if you have a Pilates related question, I will be more than happy to help.
Thank you for reading.
Karen Eccles, founder of Pilates From Within, has been teaching Pilates for over a decade; specialising in classical Pilates since 2012. From her classically equipped studio in Haslemere, Karen offers tailored Pilates training solutions. She has trained hundreds of clients on their journey to improved health and wellbeing through a combination of Pilates practice, Energy and Sound Healing; a unique blend of practices that alleviates physical symptoms, resets emotions and brings equilibrium and a sense of wellbeing.
www.pilatesfromwithin.com Instagram: @pilatesfromwithin
